Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-12
DEATHS HARVEST.
Terrible Train Wreck Near
KOuts, Indiana.
THIRTY PERSONS KILLED.
The Train on Fire-Frightful
Scenes-Carelessness Caused
the Accident.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.


CHICAGO, October 1.-A terrible
accident occurred on the Chicago and
Atlantic Railroad early this morning
near Kouts, Ind, in which the first
report stated twenty-five persons were
killed aad many injured. A fast
freight ran into the end of a passen.
ger train, telescoping two coaches.
AID DISPATCHED.
AS nearly as could be learned at the
outset the fated train was a passenger
express from the East, due in Chicago
this morning. Arelief expedition was
quickly and secretly organized by rail-
road officials here, and dispatched. to
the scene, while other help was hur-
ried forward as soon as possible. a
OFFICIAL RETIcENcE.
Two passenger trains arrived at Chi
cago early in the morning from the
East over the Chicago and Atlantic,
and it was impossible to readily learn
what had happened, the officials of
the company refusing the slightest
scrap of information. It was judged
that the horror occurred between 5
and 6 o'clock this morning.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
A special to the News frem Ham
mond, Indiana, says: The Chicago
and Atlantic railway train leaving
Hammond at 8a5 last night broke
down near Kouts Station. The engine
started ahead leaving the train
and stopped for water at State Ditch.
The engine got on the center and
could not get back to the train. A
stock train following and running on
special time crashed into the sleeper.
telescoping it and four coaches.
FOURTEEN BODIES FOUND.
So far fourteen bodies have been
taken from the wreck, q doctor from
Huntington bein the only passenger
identified. The rest are burnt beyond
recognition. The engineer and fire.
man on the stock-train we're wounded
and are not expected to live.
KouTs, Ind, October 1.-THE
worst horrors OF Chatsworth were du-
plicated here to-day. Dozens of
blook-stained, smoke-grimed dead
and dying women and children, vic
tins Of railroad careless and blunder-
ing, are Uttered in the village, station
house, the hotel and every other
available resting place in the vicinity,
while three miles west, down the
track of the Chicago & Atlantic rail-
way, near lonely water-t4nk, pres
of fearfully tangled debris mark the
spot where the collision, seldom
equalled for it's terrible results, oc-
Cured.
HOW IT HAPPENED.
The east-bound express that left
Chicago last night with a great load of
passengers had, without moments
warning, during temporary wait,
been smashed into from behind by
heavily-loaded east freight, plunging
madly forward in the darkness, bent
on beating all competition in hurrying
dressed meat to the markets of the
seaboard. Some part Of the machin-
cry of the passenger engine had been
thrown out of order during the run
from Chicago. A trifling stop at the
water tank would make all right, it
was thought. and the stop was accord
ingly made. Suddenly out of the
darkness behind came the flash Of
headlight, the rush and rattle of many
wheels, and then
MIGHTY CRASH.
The massive framework of = the
sleeper was transformed into a
huge catapult and pushed merci-
lessly forward by the freight it
crushed into the 'cars forward,
smashing their comparatively light
timbers and making the work OF
destruction complete. The wreck
quickly took fire and the sight of the
shrieking victims and dancing flames
was one never to be forgotten.
THE ENGINEERS STORY.
To-day, on his bed of agony at the
Hotel at Kouts, the engineer of the
passenger train told the following
story: "We passed No. 40 at Boone
Grove on time, and started towards
Kouts. No. 40 pulled out of the
station less than two minutes behind
us, when they should have waited
much longer and when We were we'll
away from the town, we could see her
light little way behind. We were
not running fast because the engine
was on one side; we had broken an
eccentric strap and were running but
one pair of wheels, having been forced
to disconnect the other pair of wheels,
which were running loose. OF course
the accident held our speed down a
little, but we had no idea that the
engineer of No. 40 would have any
difficulty in keeping off from our
heels. The last time l looked back
there was ample room between us.
We stopped at Boone Grove Tank and
were there almost a minute before
they struck us.
A PASSENGERS NARRATIVE.
One of the wounded, Joe McCool,
bartender of Boston, en- route to
Chicago, says Of the occurrence: 81
was in the passenger coach which was
next to the last car in the train at the
time of the accident. Just as l had
stretched myself out to 60 to sleep
and almost before l had closed my
eyes there was an awful unearthly
crash which, God help me, never
want to hear again. 1 could feel my
self thrown violently toward the top
of the car and then became insensibie.
When 1 awoke all was darkness in the
car.
HORRIBLE SHRIEKs
And piercing walls OF agony almost
deafened my ears. In the end OF the
car farthest from me the stove was
overturned and the flames were just
starting to spread with magic rapidity.
There was some sort of new gas
lamps in the cars and they had a
reservoir reaching from one to the
other. The flames leaped up the
sides and in less time than l can tell
it the gas was burning the whole
length OF the car. overhead. / was
wedged between two seats where 1
could not move limb of my body
and there watched the fire SLOWLY